Sick passenger forces PAL flight to turn around

A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for China returned yesterday afternoon after one of its passengers reportedly vomited while the plane was in flight.

The unidentified passenger, reportedly a Chinese male adult, and his two companions, another adult male and an adult female Chinese, were brought to the PAL clinic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and isolated from other passengers.

Officials said the sick passenger who vomited was given an immediate medical checkup.

However, Dr. Reynaldo Sanchez, of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Medical Division, said the passenger had a case of "motion sickness."

PR Flight 330 left NAIA around 2:30 p.m. with a total of 74 passengers. The plane was bound for Xiamen, China.

About an hour later, the passenger started vomiting inside the plane.

The plane decided to return to NAIA, even before landing in Xiamen International Airport in China. The plane returned to NAIA around 5 p.m.

NAIA Duty Officer Alfredo Vasquez and Senior Assistant General Manager Oscar Paras said they were informed of the incident and started mobilizing airport personnel for quarantine procedures.

PAL officials, however, said they are still securing clearance from the Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Service (BQIHS) before the plane would be allowed to fly to Xiamen with the rest of its passengers.– With Pia Lee-Brago, Bong Fabe